''The Sap from Syracuse'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by A. Edward Sutherland and written by

John Griffith Wray John Griffith Wray (August 30, 1881 – July 15, 1929) was an American stage actor and director who later became a noted Hollywood silent film director. He worked on 19 films between 1913 and 1929 that included ''Anna Christie'' (1923) and ''Hum ...

, along with Jack O'Donnell, John Hayden and

Gertrude Purcell Gertrude M. Purcell (June 14, 1895 – May 1, 1963) was an American screenwriter, playwright, and stage actress known for her work on films like ''The Invisible Woman'' and ''Destry Rides Again.'' Biography Early life Born in Manhattan to C ...

. The film stars

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (194 ...

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Granville Bates Granville Bates (January 7, 1882 – July 8, 1940) was an American character actor and bit player, appearing in over ninety films. Biography Bates was born in Chicago in 1882 to Granville Bates, Sr., a developer and builder, and Adaline Bates ...

, George Barbier, and

Verree Teasdale Verree Teasdale (March 15, 1903 – February 17, 1987) was an American actress born in Spokane, Washington. Early years A second cousin of Edith Wharton, Teasdale attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and trained as a stage actr ...

. The film was released on July 26, 1930, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

When Littleton Looney, a crane driver, inherits $18,000 from his uncle, he decides to fulfill his dream and go to Europe (he is a great admirer of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

). His ex-boss, Hopkins, and a couple of Hopkins' cronies decide to pull a prank on him; they send telegrams (supposedly from

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

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and others) to the captain of the luxury liner that Looney takes, asking that Looney be treated well. On the ship before it departs, one of the pranksters convince Senator Powell, another passenger, that Looney is Vanderhoff, a famous engineer, traveling incognito. Also aboard is Ellen Saunders. She has 90 days to put some nickel mines in Macedonia into operation, despite not knowing anything about mining, otherwise she will lose them to a syndicate represented by her guardian, banker Sidney Hycross. She rejects his lowball offer for property worth "over a million." When she finds out that a noted engineer is aboard, she learns from the senator that it is Looney. Soon the senator has spread the news all over the ship. When Hycross hears it, he assigns Nick Pangalos the task of keeping Ellen away from Looney. Hycross is pleased to receive a coded telegram informing him that the machinery Ellen needs has been stranded (at his orders) hundreds of miles from the mines. Ellen gets the same news and decides to consult Looney. Looney is only too happy to help however he can, and a romance develops between them. Meanwhile, he is pursued by a gold digger named Flo Goodrich, while her friend Dolly Clark targets Hycross. Hycross, suspicious of Looney's alleged identity, goads Ellen into a bet: if Looney is not Vanderhoff, she will accept his deal and sign over the mines. Hycross sends a telegram to the Syracuse chamber of commerce. Hopkins, the organization's secretary, responds with a glowing recommendation, stating "he occupies a unique position in the engineering world". However, Hycross remains unconvinced. In Macedonia, he arranges for real engineers working on the mine problem to meet (and expose) Looney. The machinery cannot be transported to the mines until the September rains raise the level of a river. That would be too late. Looney finally confesses to Ellen that he is not an engineer. Upset, she tells Hycross she will sign his agreement. However, when a persistent engineer pleads with Looney, still believing he is the builder of the New Erie Canal, to think some more, Looney tells him, "Oh, dry up. Damn the canal." That suddenly gives him an idea. He tells the engineers to dam the river. The river bed is composed of slate, which will make a usable road for the stranded machinery. Impressed, "Senator Powell", who is really Vanderhoff, decides to hire Looney; the syndicate hired him to check up on Hycross. Looney ends up with Ellen and a job as consulting engineer at her mines.

Cast

as Littleton Looney *

as Ellen Saunders *

as Sidney Hycross * George Barbier as Senator Powell *Sidney Riggs as Nick Pangolos *Betty Starbuck as Flo Goodrich *

as Dolly Clark

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sap from Syracuse 1930 films 1930 romantic comedy films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy films Films directed by A. Edward Sutherland Films set in Macedonia (region) Films set in New York (state) Films set on ships Paramount Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Films set on ocean liners